Dentists in the United States and Australia make up a growing share of international partners working with Vietnamese labs. The workflow is simpler than most expect — but there are practical details about shipping, time zones and compliance worth understanding before your first case. Here is how working with a Vietnam dental laboratory looks from a US or Australian practice.
The digital case: no borders at all
If your practice scans intraorally, outsourcing to Vietnam is functionally identical to sending work across town. Export STL/PLY files from iTero, 3Shape TRIOS or Medit, attach the prescription and shade photos, and the case is in production the same day. The finished restoration ships back by international courier. For many partners, the only physical logistics in the entire relationship is the outbound delivery of finished work.
Shipping physical cases
For impression- or model-based work, DHL, FedEx and UPS connect the US and Australia to Ho Chi Minh City reliably — our laboratory sits close to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Practical tips from our partners:
- Batch multiple cases per shipment to spread courier cost.
- Use rigid boxes with foam lining; note the case IDs on the outside.
- Declare contents accurately as dental impressions/models for smooth customs clearance.
Time zones work in your favor
Vietnam is 11–15 hours ahead of US time zones and 3–4 hours behind eastern Australia. In practice this means cases sent at the end of your workday are processed while you sleep — questions come back before your next morning, and design approvals rarely cost a full day. Our customer care team is available around the clock precisely because our partners span these time zones.
Quality and compliance questions we hear most
“What quality system does the lab run?” Khai Nguyen Dental Lab is certified to ISO 13485:2016 — the international quality management standard for medical devices — and works exclusively with genuine, traceable materials from 3M, Dentsply Sirona, Ivoclar, GC and Shofu.
“Who is responsible for the restoration?” The same contractual relationship you have with a domestic lab: specifications, warranty and remake terms in writing. Our warranty runs from 6 months to 15 years by product line — see policies.
“Can I approve the design before production?” Yes — CAD design screenshots for esthetic cases are standard practice for our Vietnam outsourcing dental laboratory partners.
What a first month typically looks like
- Week 1: a trial case or two — usually posterior zirconia crowns, the simplest way to judge fit and shade communication.
- Week 2–3: a small batch across your common indications; agree on prescription templates and photo standards.
- Week 4: review outcomes and remake rate together, then settle a price list and shipping cadence that fits your volume.
Start the conversation
The lowest-risk way to evaluate any overseas lab is one real case. Read the outsourcing FAQ for file formats and turnaround details, or contact our team — tell us your scanner and typical case mix, and we’ll set up your first case.
